Loving Heart
by Crazyeight
Summary: A heart can hold a thousand feelings and a picture can be worth a thousand words. For Rika's birthday, Takato tries a bit of both.


Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.

Loving Heart

A Digimon Tamers fanfic by: Crazyeight

The timer counted down on the oven with a steady _tick-tick-tick_ as Takato watched it, eyes narrowed in concentration.

 _Almost done,_ he thought, drumming his fingers against one leg with great expectation. He glanced at the clock furtively, resisting the urge to remove the oven's contents prematurely. He couldn't be too quick. Everything had to go just right.

 _Ding!_

At the sound, he threw open the oven door and the sixteen-year old pulled out two pans of bread loaves—dodging the snapping jaws of a voracious red dinosaur with a hazard sign plastered on his chest in the process—and set them on the counter.

"Guilmon…" he scolded the red raptor as he banged his head against the counter in his pursuit of the bread. "Be careful!"

"Owww… Guilmon moaned, rubbing the top of his head. "Sorry Takato. I just saw the bread and the next thing I knew I stopped thinking…" He looked up at his partner, gold-colored eyes wide and pitiful in appearance, like a child that had dropped dishes by accident. Shaking his head, Takato gave him a sympathetic—but stern—smile.

"I know boy," he replied, lifting another, much smaller pan than the ones containing the bread. "But you promised you'd be on your best behavior while you're in here. I can't afford to remake this you know. Every second counts!"

Moving with a speed that would have impressed a certain ninja-themed, gold-furred kitsune, Takato pushed the new pan into the oven and closed the door. After setting the timer, he leaned back and breathed a sigh of relief, wiping an arm over his forehead.

"And not a moment too soon…"

Guilmon tilted his head to one side before ultimately shrugging his shoulders. He didn't understand humans sometimes, and his partner's erratic behavior stood at the top.

Time went by as Takato and Guilmon worked laboriously to get the next batch of bread dough ready for baking, all the while keeping a careful eye on the clock. His parents were generous in letting him use their business' oven during store hours given how busy they could get, and the decision was not made lightly. Therefore, to make up for it, Takato was working extra hours for them to make up for the lost time.

Suppressing a yawn, Takato smiled to himself. It would all be worth it though just to see the smile on her face.

 **###**

Rika finished putting away her futon and stood up, checking the time.

 _Takato's probably still working now,_ she thought, remembering his disclosure that he would be pulling some extra work time for his parents before meeting up with her. He had been evasive about the reasons why, though given that today was her birthday she could guess why. Even without that, she understood his strong sense of responsibility would compel him to inform her of the complication.

 _He probably doesn't want me to think he's making excuses and chickening out or something,_ she thought with a touch of annoyance. The thought was ridiculous of course. After three years, he had given her no such reason to do so.

After all, who asked who to go Cherry Blossom Watching when she turned 14? Or at 15 and now 16?

 _It's practically our tradition now,_ she thought, changing into her day clothes. Grabbing a hair tie, she quickly looped it around her crimson-colored hair, tying it off into her trademark ponytail. She pondered that thought for a moment, realizing that it was rather odd that it _had_ become a tradition now. Their first outing technically was when she turned 13—which couldn't be called such since the boy was forced to do so and they ultimately never went—was interrupted by an ill-timed Parasimon invasion. Even setting that aside, she thought watching the Cherry Blossoms was stupid.

Yet here she was, doing just that, willingly, for the third time in a row since her disastrous thirteenth birthday.

 _Gogglehead…_ she thought, treating the otherwise affectionate nickname for her friend as a bit of a curse, knowing well the reasons _why_ things were the way they were now.

Looping her belt around her waist, she buckled it on and looked over her shoulder. "Renamon?" she asked the shadows behind her. As if springing to life, the figure of a golden-furred humanoid fox materialized out of thin air, blue-eyes sparkling in the dark of the room's corner.

"Good morning, Rika," she nodded. "And happy birthday."

Rika _hmmphed_ , but smirked playfully at her partner.

"What's so happy about it? It's just another day."

"Indeed," Renamon nodded again, playing along. This was a bit of a verbal dance so familiar to them it might as well be as old as time itself. "You have some time before you meet up with Takato on your _another day._ Do you have anything special planned with your family before the party later?"

Rika shook her head and headed toward her bedroom door.

"Not really," she replied. "Just figured I'd see where things would go."

She scrunched up her face as a thought occurred to her. "Takato's going to be forever making bread for his folks," she continued, remembering how busy things could get when she helped out last summer. She tilted her head to one side and sighed. "I should probably give him a hand so he's not messing things up. With the way he gets sometimes, the Gogglehead will probably burn the bakery down trying not to be late."

A small, barely visible smile crossed Renamon's features. While much light was often made at Takato's expense regarding his habitual tardiness—something all of the other Tamers shared, but Takato a bit more so—he had gotten better about it over the past few years, especially in regards to his cooking and baking.

 _At the very least we don't have to worry about him burning his parents' business down._

But the vulpine digimon chose not to comment. Rika was looking for something to do. This was what she wanted. Far be it from her to judge, though she found it interesting to note that the fiery-haired girl seemed most…desirous of helping her friend so that they could see the Cherry Blossoms together.

Interesting as the girl repeatedly stated every year that watching the Sakuras was _stupid_ and _pointless_. Yet she looked forward to it all the same.

 _If pressed, she'll just say that she wants to get it over with before going to the party. Even though she doesn't have to do it in the first place._

Renamon could not fathom the mind of her Tamer sometimes, and the past few years only made her _more_ complicated, not less.

"Very well then," Renamon nodded, following Rika out of her room. "Would you like for me to take you to Takato's place then?" Her teleportation abilities were often far better than any vehicle, and had the upside of bypassing all traffic.

Rika thought about it for a moment before shaking her head.

"Thanks, but I'll pass. I don't want to give Takato the idea that I'm _looking forward_ to this."

At that Renamon began to laugh, earning her an odd look from her partner.

 **###**

Blue icing now frosted the cake as Takato finished applying a purple layer in the shape of a heart. Stepping back, he wiped an arm over his forehead.

"Whoo…" he breathed while Guilmon looked on.

"That looks really nice, Takato!" Guilmon exclaimed, turning his eyes up at him. "Rika will really like it!"

The teen grinned and blushed lightly. "You think so?"

Guilmon looked up at the ceiling and tapped his chin thoughtfully.

"Well… Either that or she'll bury you in sand like she did Kazu last summer."

Takato froze, remembering that. Their mutual friend _really_ made Rika angry then. He looked at the cake, all the uncertainty he felt from before committing to this idea coming back to hit him full force and he looked at the pink and white frosting he still had left to apply, settling on the pink one in particular.

"Maybe this isn't such a good idea…" he began, his previously happy expression dimming.

"Hey, that looks pretty good. Are you finished with that?"

Takato's head snapped up to the kitchen entrance to find his father entering, apron tied around his waist and a warm, friendly smile on his face.

"Ah… No? Maybe?" Takato replied, relaxing a little. In spite of the obvious voice differences, he nearly thought that Rika had arrived unexpectedly and essentially 'caught him in the act'.

 _That's silly though,_ his mind told him deliriously. _Today's her birthday! Why would she want to be here?_

Takehiro adjusted the bandana on his head. "Feeling a little nervous?" he asked, hearing the anxious twitter in his son's voice. He wasn't surprised. While Takato showed remarkable courage in the face of danger, there remained some things that still brought him up short.

"Nah!" Takato said, shiftily looking away and falling back on bravado to cover his nerves. After a moment however, he frowned, revising his statement. "Okay, kind of a little. I just… I want to make sure that this cake is perfect. I don't want to make Rika upset. I mean… Today's an important day for her. I don't want to mess it up."

 _Like I did three years ago…_ he thought, his expression becoming crestfallen.

Takehiro's smile softened a little at his son's three-sizes-to-big heart. Approaching the tee, he placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"This looks kind of familiar," he said, noting the colors on the cake and the violet heart in the center. Takato nodded.

"Yeah. Rika used to wear a shirt like this. I wanted to… I don't know. Show her how everyone sees her and how much she's changed since we first met. And how important a friend she is." He rubbed the back of his head. "You know… That sort of thing." He looked at the cake more fully now. Hearing his own words he felt his resolve strengthen and he pulled one hand into a fist. "I still need to finish it though."

Takehiro beamed at his son, feeling a touch of pride toward him. He didn't need to say anything. Takato had arrived to this conclusion on his own with very little need to push him forward. Give him a goal and just like that his nerves smoothed out.

 _Rika's approval must mean a lot to him. Huh. And here I always thought it was Jeri who caught hold of him._

"Just make sure that you put in the next batch of bread and clean things up when you're done," Takehiro said, deciding that now was an opportune time to get back to work.

 _Um… What did I come back here for?_ Takehiro rubbed his chin as he exited the kitchen, wracking his mind for something that would jar his memory. After a few moments he shrugged his shoulders and gave up.

 _Oh well. Must not have been that important._

 **###**

"You okay, Takato?" Guilmon asked. At the question, the boy took a deep breath and steadied himself.

"Yeah boy," he replied, forcing on a smile. "I just need to finish up Rika's cake. No problem, right?"

Guilmon grinned and tossed his head in delighted agreement.

"Yeah!" he exclaimed, his tail suddenly whipping to the side and striking the counter in his sudden burst of happiness. The cake wobbled precariously, though fortunately it did not so much as budge from its perch. Takato watched it for a moment as it stilled before looking at Guilmon with a concerned expression.

"Um… How about you watch the bread while I finish, okay boy?"

Throwing his arms up into the air, Guilmon gave another glee-filled yell.

 **###**

Rika arrived at the familiar bakery—topped now by a cartoonish image of Guilmon's head—and entered through the front door. She had a key—she was one of the few Takato's parents entrusted with a spare—and Renamon of course could have teleported her inside, but she preferred not to abuse that trust any more than she had to out of courtesy and respect for the privacy of her friend's home.

She smiled as the doors slid open and the aroma of freshly baked bread greeted her. Once upon a time she wouldn't have given much thought to the smell, and on a bad day would have been irritated by it. Now it was one she associated with warmth and friendship and welcomed it upon discovery, becoming quickly put at ease. It wasn't the same as her front yard and its koi pond, being far too busy for that, but the warmth and the gentle hum of the lights combined with the bright atmosphere more than made the place feel like a second home to her.

"Morning Mrs. Matsuki," Rika greeted as the doors slid shut behind her.

"Hmmm?" The brown-haired woman—Mie Matsuki—looked up and then smiled upon seeing the girl. "Oh, hello Rika. Come on in. Are you here for Takato?" She glanced up at the clock and cocked an eyebrow. "I thought the two of you were getting together later…"

Rika grinned apologetically and raised a placating hand. "I'm not stealing him from you _just_ yet, Mrs. Matsuki. I just figured I'd see what he was up to and help keep him and Dino Boy out of trouble. You know how those two are always needing me to bail them out of trouble and keep an eye on them."

Mie laughed at that. "Well, seeing as you came all this way then…" She cocked her head over to the side and smirked. "He's in the kitchen. Feel free to help yourself to something to eat while you're back there. Or better yet, have that son of mine make you something."

Nodding her thanks, Rika gave one last wave before heading of in the indicated direction. She could already hear the familiar sounds of pans clattering and banging and her smile broadened ever so subtly. Turning the corner, she found her Gogglehead bending down as he began to pull out more bread. Guilmon was in front of him, back turned to her. Grinning, she took action. The element of surprise would not last long with that nose of his.

"Hey! Gogglehead!" she called loudly, stepping into the kitchen and folding her arms over her chest in a commanding manner. In response, Takato jumped in surprise and banged his head on the corner of the oven's opening with a loud, heavy crack.

"Ow!" Takato exclaimed, taking a second to grab the counter in order to support himself, no doubt seeing stars swimming through his head.

 _Okay…_ Rika grimaced. _I'm not going to tell his mom about that…_

"Owww…" Takato groaned, rubbing the top of his head as he recovered. "Who…?"

"It's Rika!" Guilmon exclaimed excitedly, waving his arms up in the air.

"That's me," Rika said, approaching the pair and taking hold of Takato's head before he could react, parting his hair with her fingers. "Figures I can't leave you alone for even a second. Now where'd you get hit?"

"H-Hey! I'm okay!" Takato protested, squirming a little under her grip. Sighing, Rika continued her ministrations.

"Sure you are. How's this?"

"Wha…?" Takato's eyes widened as Rika pressed a thumb against a spot of swelling flesh on his skull. _"Ow! Rika…"_

"You're fine," Rika said. "It's just a bump. No big deal. All you need is some ice on it."

"Or," Guilmon volunteered, "you could kiss it. Terriermon says that will make it better."

Both teens looked at Guilmon in bewilderment for a moment before Guilmon's ears wilted in comprehension.

"Uh oh. I forgot. I'm not supposed to listen to Terriermon."

"One of us needs to have another talk with Henry about him," Takato scowled, heading over to the freezer and grabbing a washcloth along the way to wrap the ice in.

"I doubt it'll amount to anything," Rika said, looking around to see if there was anything that needed to be done. So far some bread dough was in the making while some that were finished were set aside, rising underneath towels.

Spying something that caught her attention, she approached the counter curiously. It was…a cake with words written over it. It didn't take a genius to know what they were.

 _Happy birthday Rika!_ they said in clear, white letters.

But there was more to it than that. A purple heart sat atop blue frosting, but atop the purple heart was something rather curious. Another heart, pink-colored, though this one was much more stylized, a long twisting end that left half the center empty and curved back up after its tail reached a sharp point, becoming larger and more full than its opposite counterpart with a ring and a circle imbedded in its center.

Although she never watched the show that was behind the existence of their partners, she was a fan of its card game. She recognized the heart symbol easily enough and what it symbolized.

The Crest of Love.

"So what are you doing he…?" began Takato as he turned around, washcloth full of ice now, only for his words to die in his throat as he saw what she was looking at. She heard the sharp intake of his breath and at once she began to imagine his thought process. She envisioned several humoristic possibilities, but they all boiled down to, _please don't kill me over this._

Not too surprising given that the last time Takato did anything for her that involved what she derisively called _girly-hearts,_ she became somewhat flustered and angry with him, good intentions notwithstanding.

 _Oh, this excuse is going to be fun to hear,_ she thought, arching an eyebrow while tilting her head at the cake in question. Takato's mouth seemed to have trouble moving, but fortunately, or unfortunately depending on the perspective, the boy was saved by Guilmon, as always.

"Takato baked you a cake that he wanted to say 'you'," the crimson dinosaur chirped cheerfully. Rika eyed the boy with amusement, a small ghost of a smile playing at her lips. She schooled it to stillness, not wanting to give herself away just yet.

"Oh _really?"_ she asked. At that, Takato's mouth finally kicked itself into motion.

"I know you don't like hearts…" he began.

 _"Girly_ hearts," Rika corrected with a smirk. Takato blanched a little, but didn't retreat his gaze from hers.

"Okay, I know you don't like girly hearts and the Crest of Love does kind of look girly but…well…" He took a deep breath before continuing. "I just got to thinking back when Kazu was asking what crests everyone thought belonged to the other…"

Rika nodded, remembering that day. She had nominated Takato for the Crest of Courage, though she referred to it jokingly at the time as the Crest of Stupid. Takato had received it with all the good humor she intended. Yet for some reason he kept quiet about the crests he saw in the others.

 _So this is what he thought best suited me?_ She wanted to scrunch up her face. It felt so...cliché. Girls _always_ got that crest or some variant on TV and manga.

"…and I couldn't help but think that this crest best suited you…because of how much you care about other people." Takato shifted, scratching his head while his makeshift ice pack started to drip. "Your mom and grandmother… All your friends… You told me about how biomerging with Renamon made you feel, and…" Takato smiled at Rika just then, a soft, gentle smile that was now devoid of his anxieties. "…and I remembered how you went back to rescue Impmon back when everyone else would have left him behind. You want to protect the world and I thought… You changed. A _lot_ from when Guilmon and I first met you."

Rika repressed an unconscious shudder at the memory. Their first meeting involved her trying to kill Guilmon.

"I just… I guess what I'm trying to say is, you have a big heart, even…even if you don't like showing it sometimes. You _care,_ and that's why I think the Crest of Love is best suited for you."

Takato stood there for a moment, waiting for Rika's response. _Any_ response. Never in a million years though would he have expected what she did next.

Rika stared at him for a moment, her expression soft and contemplative. Finally, after one, long moment, she pushed off from the counter and approached him and took hold of him by the shoulders. Blushing lightly, she pulled him into a gentle hug. Stunned, Takato was at a loss for what to do before a quick glance over at a no less surprised but more active Guilmon quickly brought him out of his stupor and he, awkwardly, returned her hug, taking care to place his ice pack on the counter before fully returning the embrace.

They stood like that for a while, Takato not sure what to do but willing to hold the hug for as long as she wanted to give it. It felt odd, given how rare she doled them out, but at the same time this was…something he had no words for, but felt important all the same.

"Takato?" she said finally, breaking Takato out of his thoughts. He could feel the heat on her face, she was blushing so badly.

"Uh…yeah?"

"You're such a dork."

Takato smiled. "Yeah… I know."

Rika snickered.

"Takato?" she asked after another moment.

"Yeah?"

Her stomach suddenly growled and the heat from Rika's face intensified three-fold. Nonetheless, her voice held its confidence as she resumed speaking.

"You smell like bread and cake. You'd better take a shower before we leave. Otherwise I might end up eating you and I'd rather not have to do that to one of my best friends."

For added emphasis she tightened her grip around his back and her stomach grumbled in agreement.

Takato chuckled.

"Sure thing."

"Ah…" Guilmon tilted his head to one side, confused. "I don't get it. Don't you mean that _I_ might end up eating Takato?" He couldn't understand. That was usually how food jokes worked around him.

Still locked in her embrace, Rika craned her head at Guilmon and smiled mischievously.

"Yeah, Guilmon. _That's_ what I meant," she said, though her eyes told a different story.

 **###**

Takehiro ducked out of the way as soon as Rika moved her head, rubbing his chin and smiling. He had just remembered what he went back there for a while ago, but now found himself unable to bring himself to break up the scene he stumbled across. Looking over his shoulder, he headed back out toward the front to explain to Mie that it was going to have to wait for a bit.

"Oh well," he said, thinking back on the image of the two friends embracing each other. "It wasn't that important anyway."

 **###**

A/N: I have no idea why, but while exploring old documents I found this, and apparently I wrote this piece four years ago and for some reason it never got published. Maybe I disagreed with it regarding Rika's crest? Dunno. Making up for lost time now.

7


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